Fluid-pressure regulator



A. F. JENKINS FLUID PRESSURE REGULATOR Aug. 7, 1928.

Filed NOV. 8, 1923 wot/my.

Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

OFFICE.

ALEXANDER FREDERICK JENKINS, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FLU ID-PRESSURE REGULATOR.

' Application filed Ii'ovember 8, 1923. Serial No. 673,614.

The present invention relates to fluid pressure regulators and particularly to devices for regulating the flow of gas from high pressure containers, such as oxygen or acetylene gas flasks for storing and transporting gas for oxyacetylene welding or cutting operations. y

In my co-pending application Serial No.

372,408, filed April 9, 1920, is disclosed and claimed a pressure regulator of this type, and the present invention constitutes an improvement upon the regulator disclosed in that application. My improved regulator has a number of features'of novelty which render it simpler in construction, less expensive to manufacture, more positive and sensitive in operation, and less liable to become obstructed by dirt or impurities in the gas which flows through thesame. The moving parts of my present regulator are so supported that friction is practically eliminated, there being no metallic bearing surfaces, the friction between which can be greatly increased by the deposition thereon of substances carried by the gas in the nature of impurities.

There are a number of different constructions in which the principles of the inventio'n may be embodied, and in the accompanying drawings three such iorms are illustrated by way of example;

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a regulator having one form of the improved mechanism incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is a partial section through a similar regulator but which has a different detailed construction.

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 through a second modified form of the invention.

Figure A: is a disassembled view of cer tain of the elements shown in assembled relation in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a-detail.

Figure '6 is a plan view of a modified form of valve supporting member, and

Figure 7 is an axial section through the same.

three portions, a central portion 10, the upper dome-like portion 11, and the lower portion or coupling member .12 to which tubular member 13, having the inlet conduit 13' for the gas, is secured. Formed in the member 10 is a cylindrical chambhr 14 The regulator body comprises essentially which constitutes a portion of the gas chan-- nel through the regulator, being in communication with the inlet conduit 13.

Chamber 14 is formed with a downwardly facing annular shoulder 16, and between this shoulder and the annular upper edge of a sleeve 12 inserted within the chamber and held therein by means of a member 12, is a flexible disk 17, preferably of rubber,'and a felt disk 18. The rubber disk is provided with a plurality of equi-distantly' spaced gas passages 19 and is provided with a central aperture through which projects a spindlelike member 20 having a cup-shaped recess in its upper end in which is secured the hard rubber valve member 21, and having its lower end cxteriorly threaded to receive the interiorly threaded spindle 22 which extends downwardly axially of the gas chamber 14. A coiled compression spring 23 normally tends to force spindle 22 upwardly and hence to flex the rubber diaphragm upwardly to press the valve 21 against an annular valve seat 24 formed on the lower end of a short tube 25 threaded into a passage extending through the top wall of gas chamber 14.

When the valve 21 is displaced from its seat gas may flow from chamber 14 upwardly into chamber 26. which is formed in the up per surface of the central portion 10 of the regulaton'this chamber being closed by a flexible diaphragm 27. From the chamber 26 the gas may flow to a point of distribu-= tion, as through the outlet 26' shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. A spring 28 normally tends to force diaphragm 27 downwardly and hence to unseat valve 21, a movable rod orspindle 29 serving to transmit the movements of the diaphragm to the valve 21. When the pressure in chamber 26 falls below that desired, thevaction of spring 28 on spindle 29 will cause valve 21 to become unseated (spring 28 overcoming spring 23 and the gas pressure beneath diaphragm 27) and gas under high pressure will flow upwardly through the connecting conduit until the diaphragm 27 is again raised against the action of spring 28.

whereupon valve 21 will be again seated.

The rubber disk 17 permits, by its flexure, the valve to move axially of the gas chamber 14 and at the same time causes the valve to be at all times exactly centered in the chamber and with its flat seating surface parallel to the valve seat. There are practically no .frictional losses in the valve movements, and the construction is such that the valve will never stick because of friction or clogging of the passages by dirt and impurities deposited from the gas passing through the regulator. This sticking and excessive friction has been a fault of most regulators heretofore designed or suggested.

In Figure 2 a constructlon is illustrated in which the valve 21 is carried by a flexible rubber disk 17 but the metal member 20 in which the valve is secured is rigidly connected by means of a spindle. 29 with the flexible diaphragm 27. The necessity for The 'va ve 21 is secured within the upper end of a spindle-like member 20 which extends through bolt disks 1'7 To the lower end of member 20 an extension 22 is threaded, and a spring 23 normally presses against this memberand acts to flex the .dlaphragms upwardly and to maintain the valve seated, as in the other modifications.

By using the two diaplii agms instead of a single diaphra m, as illustrated in Figure 1, greater-flexibility is realized and also the alignment of the valve'is more perfectly maintained than in the case where a single disk is utilized. In all forms of the device,

however, it is found that the movement of "the valve is u'naccom anied by friction and that there is no possibilit of the action of .turned and, if the the valve being interfere with because of the sticking of the valve carrying member. A. still further advantage consists in the ready accessibility of the parts for cleaning.

The valve mechanism may be quickly withdrawn from the casing, cleaned and. rearts have been made with accuracy, the va ve will be exactl eoaxial with the valve seat, as before. T iis is of great im ortance since the valves tend to score after ong use, and unless returned to such position that the valve'seat actually registers with and enters the scored circular groove in the valve leakage will result.

Instead of a. rubber diaphragm 17 for supporting the valve a metallic dia hragm,-

such as illustrated in Figures 6 an 7, may

be utilized, this diaphragm being cut away to rovide passages for gas therethrough an to increase its flexibility. The pads 18 and 18, shown inthe drawings constitute filtering elements for removing impurities from the gases passing through the regulator. They may be replaced from'time to It will be realized by one skilled in the art that the designva-nd arrangement of the component elements of theinvention may be considerably modified without departing from its spirit and scope.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pressure regulator, in combination, a gas passage having a valve seat, a valve for said seat, pressure controlled valve operating means, a flexible member bridging the gas passage upon which the valve is centrally mounted for movement axially-of thev valve seat, said member being perforated to permit the flow of gas, therethrough, and

means associated with said, member for filtering the gas passing through said perfd rations, said means com risin a felt strip lying on one side of sai mem t1- and movable therewith.

3. In a pressure regulator, in combination, agas passage having a .valve seat, a valve for said seat, pressure controlled valve operatin means, and means. for su porting the va ve for movement a ially of t e valve seat, said means includin two. disk members having their margi s held in fixed spaced relation and their central port ons rigidly connected, said disks being flexible to ermit movement ,of the valve under the in uence of said valve operating means, said disks also being perforated, and a felt disk interposed between the flexible disks for filtering the gas passing through said perforations.

4. In a pressure regulator, in combination, a gas assage having a valve seat, a valve for said seat, a air of flexible members supporting the va ve as a unit for movement axially of the seat, and spacing means interposed between said flexible members to hold them in slightly spaced relation, said members being unresponsive to gas pressure.

5. In a pressure regulator, in combination, a gas assage having a valve seat, a. valve for stud seat, a pair of perforated flexible members supporting the valve as a unit for movement axiall of the seat, and spacing rin interpose between the margins of sai erforated members to hold them in slight y spaced relation.

' 6. In combination with a fitting having a fluid passa e and a valve seat therein, a valve for said seat, a pair of flexible members unresponsive to gas pressure coacting as a unit for supporting said valve for movelit) amaze ment axially of saidseat, and means for holding said flexible members in slightly sfiaced relation to prevent disalignment of t e valve.

7. In a pressure regulator, in combination, a body, a gas passage therein having a valve seat, a valve for said seat, said valve havin an integral extension guided in said y, a pressure'controlled means for moving the valve relatively to the seat, and a pair of relatively thick non-metallic flexible members'coacting as a unit. to support the valve fox movement axially of the seat to prevent jamming of said extension, said flexible members being unresponsive to gas pressure. I

8 In a pressure regulator, in combination,

mg means, and separate means for supportmg the valve for movement axially of the valve seat, said means including a disk having a central aperture through which the valve passes, a collar ad'acent said disk, a second disk ad'acent sai collar, means for securing said isk, collar and second disk on said valve, and means for securing the margins of said disks in fixed spaced relation, said disks being flexible to permit movement of the valve under the influence of said valve operating means, and perforated to ermit equalization of pressure therethrougii. Y

' ALEXANDER FREDERICK JENKINS. 

